Medical imaging systems have long been used by medical professionals, in particular dentists, to view or examine difficult to see areas. The advent of solid state electronics allowed for the development of video based imaging systems. These systems allow the user and the patient to view the interior of a cavity as if they were actually within that cavity.
There have been proposed imaging systems in which x-ray radiation is converted into visible light by using scintillations, and conversion of that light into electronic video signals that are viewed on a display such as a CRT. The electronic video signals are typically derived from a solid state image pickup, such as a CID or CCD, with a lens onto which visible light is focused and then output by the scintillation. Another intraoral imaging system employs a solid state video camera linked to a computer for processing video signals obtained from the camera to show video images on a video display such as a CRT.
Compact imaging systems have not achieved widespread acceptance among, in particular, dentists. A number of drawbacks have contributed to the slow acceptance of these technologies. Current systems require the use of expensive personal computers in order to process the images. Not only are these computers expensive, they are also difficult to use since they are not user friendly in that they are specialized, complex, and difficult to operate. However, even if a doctor or dentist can afford to purchase both systems, space constraints also present a problem since a single office or operatory rarely has the sp ace to accommodate two machines. Another problem with these machines is their general lack of portability. Since each requires a separate service unit, with power supply and lighting, it is difficult to relocate an imaging system from one operatory to another. At the same time, each imaging system has a distinct and inherently different purposes of use. Consequently, in order for dentists to provide optimal care for their patients, a dentist must have quick and easy access to both types of imaging systems.
Accordingly, there is a clear and present need in the art for a simple imaging system which enables the user to interchange x-ray and video imaging modules, thereby allowing the dentist or doctor to quickly and effortlessly interchange between using either video or x-ray imaging within the same operatory. The present invention satisfies this need by addressing and overcoming the problems of the prior art described above.